August 18, 2022

Media contact: Jeremy Butterfield, jeremy.butterfield@deltadentalva.com

 

Delta Dental of Virginia employees and community partners Carilion Clinic and Freedom First Credit Union recently celebrated the culmination of a community-wide food drive with the donation of more than 2,000 pounds of donated food items to Feeding Southwest Virginia.
 

In addition to the community food drive, Delta Dental employees packed food boxes for seniors and donated $2,400 to support the food bank’s efforts to combat food insecurity in our region. Responding to the call for more community support as the need continues to grow in Virginia, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation donated an additional $5,000 to Feeding Southwest Virginia and $5,000 to the Federation of Virginia Food Banks.
 

“It’s well known that food insecurity and lack of proper nutrition can have a major impact on a person’s oral and overall health, and we appreciate the opportunity to team up with our community partners to support food and nutrition programs in Virginia,” said Polly Raible, Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation executive director. “It was amazing to see the response from all of the employees, partners and community members who answered the call to help their friends and neighbors in the Commonwealth who struggle with food insecurity.”
 

Food and funds donated support efforts to combat dramatic increases in food prices, which have a major impact on community members who are forced to make tough choices when it comes time to restock their pantries. “These donations are vital to our food bank as inflation prices rise and we continue to serve more than 100,000 meals monthly,” said Pamela Irvine, Feeding Southwest Virginia president and CEO. "Community partners like Delta Dental of Virginia are seeing the need and responding, and we appreciate their efforts to work toward nourishing our food-insecure neighbors.”
 

Find out more about efforts to combat food insecurity in Virginia at www.feedingswva.org and www.vafoodbanks.org.

About Delta Dental of Virginia

Established in 1964, Delta Dental of Virginia is the largest dental benefits provider in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Delta Dental of Virginia provides high-quality, cost-effective dental plans to more than two million members. Through its foundation, Delta Dental of Virginia has donated millions of dollars to improve the oral health of Virginians.

Delta Dental of Virginia is a member of the national Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA). Since 1954, the DDPA has worked to improve oral health nationally. Delta Dental member companies serve more than 83 million people in more than 152,000 groups across the nation.

About Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation

Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, founded in 2012 by Delta Dental of Virginia, has donated more than $10 million to help improve the oral health and, ultimately, the overall health of all Virginians. The foundation focuses its support on initiatives that support the dental safety net, boost prevention and accelerate learning.